


Ultimatum

by Kate translates (Kate_Marley)



Series: Red-White-Red in the Alphabet (Rot-Weiß-Rot im Alphabet) by Sternenschwester [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Austrian history - Freeform, Historical Hetalia, M/M, Siege of Vienna, early modern history
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-03 04:22:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13333404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kate_Marley/pseuds/Kate%20translates
Summary: During the Siege of Vienna in 1529, Austria reminisces about Spain, and the Ottoman Empire gives Austria an ultimatum.Original written in German bySternenschwester.





	Ultimatum

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Ultimatum](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/350298) by Sternenschwester. 



> Salute,  
> “Ultimatum” is one of my [Sternenschwester’s] personal favourites because I worked on it for a long time and because the Siege of Vienna in 1529 is numbered among my favourite sections of Austrian history. I hope it was worth the effort. This time, there will also be slight Roderich x Antonio, albeit not very prominent. The pairing has something to be said for it, I must say; besides, it makes reference to history. Sadly, there are hardly any fics about them.  
> Kind regards, Sternenschwester
> 
> PS: Sections with + before them are flashbacks.

_Vienna – beginning of October 1529 – St Stephen’s Cathedral_

Sullenly, Roderich bit into the hard slice of bread. He had kept watch up here on the southern tower of St Stephen’s Cathedral for hours already and was chilled to the bone by the clammy air. Biting and chewing, he pondered what Sadıq was now doing in the Turkish army. Did he participate in a meeting on another offensive or did he have supper like Roderich?

In any case, the Ottoman’s diet was more varied than his own. The Turks had rampaged in the vicinity of Vienna for weeks and had spread terror way beyond its boundaries. Reaching right beside himself, Roderich lifted his tankard full of watered wine to his lips in order to swallow his meagre meal. He let his eyes wander worriedly across his city.

Below, the mercenaries his lord had sent him before fleeing to Innsbruck with his family broke the streets open. Even if the Turkish army had had to leave its battering cannons behind on its way to the west due to bad weather, the bullets of the smaller artillery pieces caromed from the paving of the city and brought about no less damage. If the cobblestones were removed, however, they simply sank into the mud.

In general, everything within the closer vicinity bogged down. Even the goddamn Turks did, Roderich thought to himself gleefully. They hadn’t had weather as cold and bad as this for a long time, and yet winter was only just around the corner. But if the weather was hideous in the eyes of the locals, how much did it have to worry the Turks, then, who came from warmer and, what was more, more arid regions.

His gaze wandered on. In front of the city walls, the Turks, on their part, had started to dig tunnels. The Austrian and his fellow countrymen had long puzzled why their enemies made this much effort. It was only due to an informant and his not exactly demure questioning that they had found the Turks planned to dig in the metres thick defence work of the city in order to fire a blasting charge below it. Since then, men equipped with water baskets kept watch in order to detect those “moles”.

Sighing, the archduchy set his tankard down in order to put the last bite of bread into his mouth. On a whim, he let his eyes wander to the south and searched the sky for the silhouette of a black bird. It was now a week already since his faithful heraldic animal had told him of his sisters. Hedwig had assured him in her last letter she had found refuge behind the protective walls of the Riegersburg in Styria. What was more, he knew his younger sister. She had gone through every crisis he had experienced so far with him and certainly wouldn’t let a few Ottomans upset her. With a sardonic grin, he remembered the times when she had rode into battle at his side in full armour and with a sword in her hand. There had even been times when it was her who took leadership within their family. No, there was no need to worry about Hedwig. He worried more about his elder sister from Carinthia, though, for he hadn’t heard from Katharina since the beginning of the incursion of the Turks. He could only hope she had entrenched herself behind one of her fortresses and relied on the tenacity of her countrymen.

 

A slight shower fell over the city and covered the land with a grey veil. Roderich’s expression darkened when he wrapped himself tighter into his weatherproof cape. His short stay in Spain during the past years hadn’t exactly been a voluntary decision, but he had to admit in this moment that there were advantages to living in the warm sun of the Mediterranean. The sun-tanned face of the Spanish kingdom appeared in his mind’s eye. Even if he didn’t want to acknowledge it, he missed the Spaniard’s sunny smile. Particularly in a precarious situation such as this, he wished he hadn’t taken leave from the Spaniard in an aloof and distanced manner; he wished he hadn’t ever granted him the chance to get to know him better, aside from a single time.

\----------------------------------------------------

\+ “What do you mean, you can’t do it?” Roderich had to rein himself in in order not to raise his voice. “This isn’t a question of ability, Antonio, but of obligation!”

The Spaniard eluded his glare and started to twirl his fingers nervously. “Believe me, I’d love to send you more troops, but I can’t withdraw so many men from the battle lines.”

“Listen, Antonio, I think you misjudge the gravity of my situation. I would never ask you for help if this was about a skirmish such as the one between you and Francis…” The Austrian’s hands had buried themselves deeply into the fabric of his blouse. A small angry vein had formed on his front in the course of their talk and started to swell threateningly with every evasive answer the Spaniard gave.

“There is no skirmish between Francis and me, it is a real war”, Antonio interrupted him.

“And the Turks are going to beat a path to my door at any minute now!” Roderich snapped at him, losing his temper completely. +

\----------------------------------------------------

Roderich hadn’t even really said goodbye to the Spaniard, and if he was honest to himself, he regretted it.

Suddenly, he heard clatter on the stairs. A countryman came up to him, entirely out of breath. He had to have sprinted up all the steps of the circular staircase. Curious and worried at the same time, Roderich handed the man his tankard who took it gratefully and started to speak after a few swigs.

“My lord, I have an important message for you.”

\----------------------------------------------------

\+ Roderich buried himself deeper into his blanket. Sleep eluded him since he had received the message about the advance of the Turkish army. Angrily, he threw his blankets off and buried his face in his hands. It wasn’t that he feared Sadiq’s hordes would overrun him. No, for his childhood hat inured him to incursions such as this and, in addition to that, the Turk had to get around Hungary first. Yet, the fact that many a nation who used to be close to him in the past now tried to stab him in the back with Turkish aid hit him hard. He knew about the monies Bavaria slipped the Turks so that they gave Antonio and him sleepless nights. Since he had dissociated himself from Theodor and started to tread his own paths centuries ago, they were at loggerheads for most of the time. Once in a while, Roderich wondered where the brotherly love they had shared in his childhood had gone. Now they hurt each other in the ubiquitous intrigues of the powerful both physically and mentally.

The creaking sound of his door let him start up, and the unexpected blaze of a heavy chamber stick irritated him fleetingly. He heard the faint tapping of naked feet on a stone floor apparently heading for his direction. Suddenly, he faced Antonio who held the chamber stick in one hand and his blanket in the other, trailing it behind himself.

“I’m sorry about earlier”, the man from the Mediterranean mumbled, staring at the bedpost in embarrassment.

Roderich tilted his head slightly, a habit he had broken a long time ago. Since he gave no answer to the Spaniard, an uncomfortable silence spread between them. Doubtfully, Antonio tried to catch the Austrian’s eye.

“May I sleep in your bed today?”, he then asked tentatively, a slight flush shimmering on his bronzed cheeks.

Still without saying a word, Roderich shifted a little backwards in order to make room for the other nation. A little clumsily, Antonio scrambled into bed and laid down by his side, apparently having found an interesting spot at the baldachin above them.

Roderich had lain down again and strained to ignore the body next to his, but its silent breathing prevented him from doing so. Perhaps it was simply due to the density now prevailing in the bed that Morpheus didn’t want to take him in his arms as quickly as usual, though.

“I’m sorry”, Antonio whispered into the silence. Roderich gave a curt and mirthless laugh into the silence.

“You mentioned that. Too bad I don’t know what exactly you’re sorry about…”, he said sarcastically. Only moments later, he felt a head on the cushions turn in his direction. Even if he could only make out the outline of the body next to him due to the darkness prevailing in the chamber, he believed to feel the gaze of green eyes on him clearly.

“I meant the conflicts with your brother, of course...”

How did the Spaniard know about these?

“How...”

The brown-haired man heard the bed sheets rustle and felt by means of the sinking in of the mattress that the other man hat sat up a little.

“You shouldn’t leave your letters lying around just like that, so that they might be read by people who are too nosy”, he heard the southerner murmur. Roderich clenched his fists and called himself a fool for treating his exchange of letters too carelessly.

How he hated this place. He hadn’t come here of his own volition. In contrast to a conquered nation, however, he hadn’t been forced to align himself with Spain’s household out of subservience. No, his own lord had demanded him to do so. This ruler who was a foreigner to him as well as to many of his countrymen. A foreign ruler who now tried to imprint the country of his ancestors with a Spanish stamp.

“I’m also sorry about Francis...”, Antonio continued.

“Sorry about not being able to send me men due to your war or sorry about the fact that you campaign against one of your best bosom friends?” The Austrian couldn’t suppress a slight bitterness in his voice. He did not know what exactly was floating about in his mind and why he reacted so acutely to the Spaniard. He couldn’t tell since when exactly, but since a considerable amount of time he lost more and more of the aloof aversion he had shown the personification of the Spanish kingdom since the death of Emperor Maximilian.

“Francis is my brother, Roderich. Even though we don’t have the same mother, Rome still is our common father.”

The Spaniard hesitated for a moment.

“Or rather, he is what fathers are to us, for, strictly speaking, we aren’t related by blood. And I love this Frenchman like a brother. You, of all people, should be able to understand that...” There was a profound sadness in the Spaniard’s voice.

Roderich stiffened and remained silent. Theodor’s face appeared in his mind’s eye. Not related by blood, but still a family. He didn’t know how he, as Roderich, had come into this world. His first memories were the careless days he had spent in Noricum’s villa. The last days before the great migrations of the peoples... And even if the signs of imminent decay had loomed ahead in the future, it had been a carefree period of time for him, a period of time he had spent with Katharina and the woman he had always called his mother.

The Bavarian had only entered his life when he had forcefully converted his sister and her realm in his duchy once and for all. From this time on, Roderich had grown up at the court of the elder duchy and had emancipated himself step by step when the House of Babenberg become his lords. Theodor was no descendant of Noricum, but in spite of that, Roderich had always thought it pellucid to regard him as a brother. They resembled each other in language, culture, and mentality.

 

Suddenly, Roderich felt Antonio make himself comfortable once more and just a little later, a strong arm pulled him to the warm body next to his. Taken by surprise by the unexpected physical contact, Roderich failed to resist against it.

“And I’m sorry a wall of cold ice still separates us”, a warm voice whispered into his ear.

Roderich slowly turned his upper body to Antonio, pushing the Spaniard’s arm to his hip. For the first time, he actually looked into his green eyes and, in spite of the darkness, perceived an honesty in them that embarrassed him. He was afraid of what he saw in the eyes of the other man and also of what had changed inside of himself since he had started to live in the Spaniard’s house. +

\----------------------------------------------------

The man adjusted his beret before he continued.

“A Turk demands to speak with you!”

Roderich raised his head and interlaced his fingers.

“Which Turk? Describe the man to me”, he said calmly.

\----------------------------------------------------

The shower had already abated when Roderich was informed that a certain Sadıq of the Turks wanted to talk to him. Now, the city gates were opened and Roderich slipped outside through a small gap. The surroundings of Vienna looked desolated and fallow. Without showing any emotion, Roderich strode to the rider of the white horse. The Turkish warriors present made room for him respectfully, but regarded him with wary looks.

Sadıq did not demount when the brown-haired man stood right in front of him; however, he dismissed his bodyguards with a wink of the hand. The warriors simply nodded curtly, then marched in the direction of the camp in ordered formation. When even the last member of the armed forces was out of earshot, the masked man turned to the person next to him.

For a while, none of them spoke a word. Each of them scrutinized the other in order to be able to silently assess them, as they had never met before. After a long while, the Turk started to speak. His voice wasn’t as deep at all as the Austrian had imagined.

“Tell your people that I give them three days. Three days to surrender.”

Roderich took his time to answer. He knew why Sadıq set them an ultimatum. If Vienna did not surrender and if the sultan was forced to take the city in an attack, he had to permit his warriors and soldiers to sack it, according to Islamic law.

“I will tell this to my people. But if I were in your stead, I wouldn’t get my hopes too high.”

The Ottoman smiled mockingly.

“And with which army do you want to hinder me from taking the city, Austria?”

For a blink, Roderich pulled a face. He hated to be addressed in a haughty manner when he was in such a precarious situation. When he had concocted an answer, however, he was able to control his facial expression again.

“There may be an imbalance in the number of soldiers on both sides. Still I ask you, Sadıq, do you really believe you can keep up your siege long enough when winter is just around the corner?”

The masked man gave a curt laugh.

“I think you misunderstand me. Counting in even those wretched figures your lord was able to recruit at the last moment: Do you really believe your little town behind them can compete with my army?”

“We may be few, Sadıq. But we are determined to sell our lives dearly.” Roderich crossed his arms in defiance.

Yes, many had left Vienna over the past weeks because they didn’t trust the city be kept. But even if he hadn’t found the aid he had hoped for, there were now more mercenaries in the city than there were citizens, and even those who had stayed behind were determined to defend their homes at any cost. There were Spaniards, Bohemians, and Austrians fighting against the Ottomans together.

“Well, I offer you to prevent this unnecessary bloodshed. Return and communicate my ultimatum to your people.”

Sadıq turned his horse and rode back to his camp with a grin on his face without ever looking back at Roderich.

\----------------------------------------------------

After short negotiations, Roderich was let out of the city gates. The precarious situation in which the city was strained the mind of the inhabitants, be they citizen, peasant or refugee, to the utmost and the archduchy had to put part of his authority in the balance in order to get outside of the protective walls without an escort. After a short walk in the drizzle under the wary eyes of the enemies in the distance, Roderich reached a destroyed vineyard a little apart from the acts of war. There stood, as he had expected, the white mare of the personification of the Ottoman Empire. When the rider spotted the approaching man, he directed his horse in his direction. When they met in between, the two opponents eyed each other thoroughly. Despite the mask and the additional layers of clothing, the Austrian discerned with satisfaction that his enemy had lost weight and stateliness since their earlier encounter.

“Why weren’t your people wise enough to accept my generous offer?”, the Turk began the conversation that should have started minutes ago. “Why were they so stupid to allow the ultimatum we gave them to lapse?”

Roderich stretched in order to get that damn damp chill out of his limbs. “Sadıq, I’m afraid I have to tell you that you’re the one who has been given an ultimatum.” Roderich tried to put on a relaxed smile. He could feel the self-assertive look of the Turk on him even under his mask. After a moment of silence, the brown-haired man stooped and picked up a branch. The frost had formed a thin coat of ice on the still-damp mud. Carefully, the Austrian skimmed over it, cautious not to destroy the crystals. Then, he handed it to his companion.

“From a military point of view, your time is running out, Sadıq. This year, winter will come earlier than you thought. Even now, you are wet to the bone, your supplies are delivered haltingly, the hinterland is devastated... Tell me, how do you plan to maintain the siege in the future?”

Sadıq reined in his horse in order to be on a level with Roderich.

“You will fall”, he replied to the Austrian without looking at him from the side. “I will bring you to your knees just like all the others before you.”

Roderich let out a guffaw and darted an arrogant glance at his opponent.

“Fall, like all the others did... My dear Sadıq, your problem is I am not like the others. Vienna isn’t like the other cities either. What you try now is what many have tried before you and Vienna and me, we stand before you up until this very day. If Vienna doesn’t surrender out of its own volition, you can bury your hopes to be successful.” The Austrian archduchy raised his voice more and more with every sentence he uttered. “And by the Holy Virgin and all saints, Vienna will not go to its knees.” He knew he was trying to conceal the truth with his talking, knew that the situation was against them in many points, that so many was touch and go, and yet he had no choice. They had persisted for such a long time now, longer than most contemporaries had given them credit for. So many had prophesied their fall and yet, both him and the city still stood. If they withstood just a little longer than the Turks did, they could win.

“Is this your last word, Austria?”

Roderich stood with his hands on his hips and glared in a challenging way. “Then stay here and continue to attack my walls. You will be the one to withdraw like a whipped dog.”

Sadıq turned his horse to his camp and looked at the archduchy for the last time. “Hope, Austria, for as long as you have hope, and clear off to your men before I cannot fend off my wish to enchain you for your arrogance any longer.” Applying pressure to the belly of his horse, he sped the animal.

Meanwhile, Roderich didn’t waste time to seek the temporary security the walls of Vienna offered him, wondering for how much longer this state of affairs would last. He still had so many plans. In his mind’s eye, Antonio appeared once more. If he survived all this as unscathed as possible, he wanted to make a fresh start in their relationship, wanted to leave behind the aversion and the mistrust of the past years. The brown-haired man reached the solid city walls and quickly slipped through the small gap that was opened for him. No, in order to get a new chance with the Spaniard, he had to concentrate on the here and now. So far, Fortune had smiled upon him, but who could tell for how long God would hold his protecting hand over his city. And if Vienna should fall, that much felt certain to the Archduchy of Austria, he would fall as well.

**Author's Note:**

> German version betaed by fodazd (animexx-de)
> 
> Historical context:
> 
> The Siege of Vienna in 1529 was both the pinnacle and the end of the Ottoman advances towards the west. After the Ottomans had conquered Hungary with their army and a little political banter, Sultan Suleiman II decided to go to war against the residential city, Vienna. The reasons for this fateful decision are many and diverse. It was not a pointless decision, though, for Vienna was seat of the Austrian archduke, then Ferdinand I (the brother of Charles V, King of Spain and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire). However, the moment for the foray was chosen as badly as imaginable. Winter was just around the corner, it was pelting down with rain, half of Vienna and its surroundings bogged down, the supply situation was very bad, and both the people of Vienna and the hired mercenaries alike were more tenacious and determined than the Turks had imagined. The sovereign had retreated to Innsbruck with his family and observed the events from there.
> 
> The Turks started their siege at the end of September. In the beginning, they gave the people of Vienna and their defenders an ultimatum to surrender within three days, delivered by a captive set free in front of the city. When this proved not to be successful, the Ottomans started to keep the besieged busy in order to divert their attention from the tunnels dug in front of the walls. The idea of the Ottomans was to fire explosive charges under the walls in order to tear gaps into the defence works. The people of Vienna discovered this plan after a while. They started searching for these “moles” on their part by bringing water barrels to the outmost cellar and by waiting for tremors on the surface of the water. This way, possible detonations could be located and the defence concentrated on these spots.
> 
> So far, so good; the weeks went by and, as if by a miracle, Vienna was still not taken—in part because the inhabitants of the city refused to surrender to the siege and in part because the weather gave the Ottomans, who were used to a milder climate, a hard time. Morals and motivation within the Turkish army sank rapidly. The supply situation worsened more and more, for the hinterland of Vienna was abandoned and devastated. After a failed major offensive (in which the people and the mercenaries had managed to keep a demolished stretch of wall) the Sultan called off the siege on 14 October and retreated behind Hungarian frontiers. Vienna breathed a sigh of relief, but it had to fight the consequences of a hard winter and crop failure (due to the siege) immediately afterwards.
> 
> By the way, you can visit the lookout in the northern tower (I think it is the northern tower) of St Stephen’s Cathedral today. It is at the bend after the first circular stair and was also used during the Battle of Vienna in 1683.


End file.
